Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-02-18

'ol course | Cpli I. ! --l!;tTt! a-Hll~l
it. ii -iv" III" world 10 - l. SIS
frtc al til, burnham >. Ev,ry sou Wa.
be there. hut me.
AN I why not Won. if Your heart is
50 -, upon it? think all such affairs
STUPID bore: tut that's nothing.
"W"u'd You wish me to 80 there in a
pet icuai?"
M. suppose not. tell YOU |
am no judge of ladies dress. don't
think should know a prtticoat from
gown. Those are gowns. arr th"yn"t.
hanging in rows round the walls in the
rooms above, and covered up with
sheets and tablc-cioths?"
"Shccts and tab!c-cloths. Oscar"
"My dear. they look like it."
"Wcll-if they are gowns. there's
not one can Wear"
"Thcy are all new recently" said
Mr., DaIrymple. What's the matter
with thcm?'
There's not one l can wear" per
sisted his wife.
at can't be the color. For I'm sure
there's gown of every shade of every
color under the sun. What is it?"
What is it?" repeated Mrs. Dal-
rymple. in quite contemptuouS tone,
for she had no patience with such ig-
norance. You ought to know what
it is"
My dear. l really don't. If you
wish me to know, YOU must tell me.
II hare worn them one" angrily
answered Mrs. Dalrymple. "And
some twice. and some three times.
And one Oscar" she broke off, 'you
remember that lovely one. a sky blue.
shot with white, a dispoS'tom?"
what is "a Disposition inter
rupted he.
Ca silk. founced, and the flounces
have some design upon them. en-
bosscd. or raised, sometimes of a diff
ferent color. That one dress 1 have
worn five times. have, Oscar. Five
! times"
IL wear my coats fifty times five"
said Mr.. Dalrymple.
1.-The idea of my being seen at Lady
Burnham's in dress l have worn be-
forc!' uttered Selma, passing by his
remark with the scorn it deserved
NO! I'd rather go in a pctticoat. of
the two evils, and hide my head forev-
er afterward."
Mr.. Dalrymple was puzzled. "Why
could you not be seen there, or any
where else. in dress you have worn
before?''
"Why couldn't IT, exclaimed Mrs.
Dalrymple, in a tone of suppressed cX-
ASPIRATION.
"Sclina, I only ask to know"
because nobody else ever does"
"Thcn what becomes of all the new
gowns?" inquired the wondering man.
For goodness sake don't keep on
calling them gowns.
"Dresscs. then. What becomes of
them?"
"Oh-they do for the country. And
under-robes. glace slips and that, we
can wear again here, ever SO many
times, because they are not seen. only
the color showing through; or the lit
tie piece in front, if the upper dress is
left flying. and that can be altered to
look different by means of trimming
She might as well have talked to him
in Madame's French, which was a
sealed language to Oscar Da!rymplc,
for all the sense he could make of the
speech. He looked perplcxcd. And
she cross.
''Do you not understand me?"
THAT do not. Selma"
at is not to be expected. Ahusband
who can, and does push his nose into
his wifc's toilette, is only fit for man.
miiliner. l am not saying this at you,
Oscar; am saying you don't. We
never worry our heads to interfere be-
tween you and your tailors. and pry
into the shape and make of your waist
coats and buttons and things. and we
do not expect to have it done by us "
"Selin:i. let your grievance come to
an end. do not like 10 hear this tone;
it smattcrs Of rcproach toward me-"
"Then you must rctract what you
said last night"
my dear. said nothing to hurt
you. l did not mean to do 500
at was as if you wanted me never
to have another new dress again.
NAY. Selma, you must have what
dresses you want; with a due rc"ar'l
to the smallncss of our income. You
must not overlook that"
Don't be foolish, Oscar. Do YOU
fear l am going to ruin you? What
the cost of few dresses? mast have
one for this morning fetc."
MY dear, have what you like; you
are the best judge. Only bearing in
mind what l have said; of course can
trust you to do that"
1t never entered the long heau OF
Oscar Dalrvmple that his wife could
20 beyond . little imprudence in the
matter. He had as much idea of the
expense attendant upon an extrava-
CANT toilette as the man in the moon,
and he did not seek to inform himself.
Long-headed, cold and cautious was
he; never but upon one subject had he
been warm in his whole life; and that
was his love for Selma, when she was
Miss Dalrymple. To say that he had
loved her passionately, all the more
passionately because it had been hid
den, would not be saying enough;
upon that one point he was simple
ton; his love fooled him to it. Unex-
pectedly he succeeded to the family
estate. and then he spoke; and Selma,
after some vacillatiOn, married him.
He was not yet disenchanted; and he
never glanced at the possibility that
his wife could bring on real embar-
rassment through extravaganza.
"My dear. have what YOU like; you
are the best Judge"
The words were as the sweetest
music in her ears. She sprang up,
humming scrap of song.
"You dear, good Oscar! l knew
you were never going to be an old GRIT
fin. l think must have that lovely
green and white gauze. 1t was the
most magnificent dress. Twas divided
between that and lemon-colored dam
ask. I'll have the gauze. And gauze
dresses cost nothing"
"Nothing?"
"Next to nothing. Oh, Oscar. there's
another thing. My presentation. l
have gone on and on, waiting for Lady
Dalrymple to come to town, and now
there are only two drawing-rooms
more. Mrs. Cleveland goes to the
next, and will present me. Shall shep"
"If you must be presented at all.
don't see any good in it, for my part.
| our mother never was OrcSpnfed.